Zoltan Vas, chief of Hungary’s Planning Office, and 11 other high ranking Jews in the Hungarian Government have committed suicide, it was reported here today by the Austrian newspaper “Die Presse.” The report stated that the suicides resulted from a “wave of purges” directed against Jews in the Hungarian Government.
The newspaper estimated that at least 30 top-ranking Jews had committed suicide or had otherwise fallen victim of the purge. It added that the purge was directed by a visiting Russian group which came to Budapest three weeks ago.
The 30 Jews were allegedly “suspected Zionists.” “Die Presse” pointed out that Mr. Vas’ office was responsible for economic planning in Hungary and he was held partly responsible for the current economic crisis in the country.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.